CHOOSING THE RIGHT BREED OF DOG

1.Before you buy a puppy, be sure that breed will fit into your family. Check into what that breed was meant to do, what grooming is involved, how much he'll eat, etc. If you go bike riding, running, hiking, swimming, a Chihuahua is a bad choice for you. Choose a breed that can handle your activities.

2. When you decide you want a puppy, write down what you want in a dog. Do you want long or short hair? Small, medium, or large breed? Activity level? How protective? Having it written down will help when looking at different breeds. All you’ll need to do is refer to your list when you’re interested in a specific breed. The more you know what you want in a dog the easier it will be to choose a breed or mixed-breed.

3. Once you've decided on a breed, talk to anyone who owns one or go to a dog show and talk to owners there. Go to a library and read anything you can about the breed. Be sure you know the bad points of your breed as well as the good points. This includes mixed-breeds. Check out any information available for each breed in the mixed-breed you’ve chosen. You may not be able to view another mix like the one you’ve chosen but finding out what you can about the breeds will help you understand what your dog may grow up to look and act like.

4. Did you know mixed breed dogs, in general, are healthier than purebreds? They suffer less genetic health problems due to what’s called "hybrid vigor".

5. I recommend not getting a wolf-hybrid. Wolves first reaction to humans is to run and hide. Dogs, however, are "man’s best friend". Mixing these two produce unstable animals with needs most humans are not equipped to handle.

6. If you’re looking for a dog for a specific purpose (hunting, herding, carting, etc.), why not get a puppy that is two different breeds meant for what you want? For example, a border collie/Australian shepherd mix will herd as well as a purebred border collie; a Labrador/golden retriever mix will hunt as well as a purebred Labrador; a Bernese mountain dog/Newfoundland mix will cart as well as a purebred Newfoundland.

7. Be sure you know what your chosen breed was meant to do and that you’re equipped to handle his behavior. If you’ve chosen a terrier know that you may have to deal with digging; a beagle will usually follow where his nose takes him; a border collie will probably try to herd everything in sight.